As community educators working on gardening projects in Port Elizabeth we see the truth of Tracy Ledger’s statement because of very difficult economic circumstances in our communities. We see hunger, poor diets and sickness. When people do not get enough food every day or they do not get all the nutrients needed by their bodies, we call that food insecurity.

Food insecurity can be seen all over South Africa. The recent global economic crisis and droughts have caused steep food and fuel prices. Alongside this, poverty and unemployment have increased so that around 35 per cent of South Africans can’t be sure of regular, nutritious food. The link between poverty and food insecurity can be seen in Johannesburg, where figures for food insecurity range from over 50% in poor areas to as high as 90% in the most deprived wards.